Manikin



July 30, 1940.

M. A. NoRR lss MANIKIN Filed Nov. 27, 1939 Patented July 30, 1940 UNIT-En STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of making manikins, figures and figurines for advertising display of clothing and articles of wear and adornment, and for other uses. More particularly, it concerns the provision of such manikins of a flexible type that can be positioned and repositioned by manipulating the head, limbs and even the body so that the figure may be posed in any desired manner without distortion in manipulation. The pose of the manikin of this invention is capable of being changed at will and the figure may be caused to assume any natural life-like attitude suitable to the display in which it is employed. A further feature of the manikin is that it is adaptable, if desired, to animation so that, for example, in a human figure the limbs, head or body may be caused to move in response to electrical current. Among many other applications of the invention is its adaptability for use for dolls and similar toys.

The figure of this invention comprises an outer body or shell of a flexible composition. Within be manipulated at will so as to maintain the figure in a desired pose. Also within the hollow of the body is placed a filler of a finely divided material of such nature that, while it will pack closely, it will not solidify or harden, nor will the particles thereof adhere. This filler will, consequently, fiow when the position of the figure is altered, thus always maintaining the smoothness of the contour. The effect is to give to the body of the figure a slight yield to the pressure of the fingers and to lend to it a feel similar to that of flesh.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the drawing which represents a manikinof the invention devised for an unanimatedfigure.

cast of a latex composition in a mould, the composition being vulcanized and in the finished moulded form being of a high degree of resiliency. Through an opening in this moulded form, an armature ll of pliable wire or metal ribbon, such as a nickel clad copper wire, is inserted and worked into position within the hollow interior of the moulded form, so that the armature or skeleton extends not only through the torso of the figure but also, as shown, through the extensions of the bodythe arms, legs and neck. Also through an opening a. filling material I! (shown where the shell is broken away) is introduced filling the whole hollow interior of the figure and surrounding the armature. The filling may be in- Referring now to the drawing, the body in is (Cl. -NS -162) troduced either before or after the armature. The opening through which the armature and the filler are introduced is then sealed or closed in any known manner.

The surface of the figure may then be tinted, if desired, by painting or spraying the'surface, although the desired natural tint may be intro-' duced into the latex composition prior to moulding. I

The finished manikin, although the outer form may be cast in an upright position, may then be manipulated by hand so as to assume any other position such as a sitting posture, or a walking attitude, or the arms or legs may be extended so as to assume any natural pose. But however the figure is manipulated, the pose assumed is held by reason of the fact that the armature or skeleton is adjusted by the manipulation so as to hold the limbs in the desired position and the filler, closely packed but not aggregated, adhered or hardened, still fills the hollow interior of the figure and supports the outer shell so that no undesired wrinkling or distortion occurs. Of course, the shell of the figure is so resilient that, if the armature and filler were not present, the figure when manipulated into a different attitude would-immediately resume its original pose as soon as it is no longer held by external means.

The shell may, of course, be moulded of any appropriate resilient material but I prefer to use a latex composition consisting of the following ingredients in approximately the proportions stated:

Latex -65% solids gallons 9 /2 Water r.. do 8% McNamee clay pounds 50 Whiting do 50' Vulcanizing dispersing agent do 1 The above formula may, as implied, use any of a number of vulcanizing dispersing agents, but I prefer to use one such of about the following composition, the proportions indicated being for each lbs. of total latex solids:

To this composition I find it advantageous to add an additional quantity of a dispersing agent,

whieh iithe dispersing ag'entbe a sodium salt 01' polymerized poly ryl sulphonic acid, easily obtainable on the market, may be as much as 6 lbs. with excellent eilect.

In some cases it may be 0! advantage to omit the zinc oxide but when this is done the rate of cure is a little slower.

vulcanization should be effected at a temperature oi-about C. to C. at which range of temperatures very quick results are obtained.

The filler may be a dry powder such as talc or chalk or other substance, the particles of which have little or no tendency to adhere to each other. I find especially satisfactory for this purpose fine- 1y. divided wood pulp which, when relatively closely packed in the hollow interior oi the figure, yields slightly to pressure but which, because of lack of adhesion of the particles, readiusts itself when the pressure is removed. Wood meal or finely ground sawdust are also excellent fillers for the figures of this invention. The filler in any event should be of such nature as to retain its finely divided condition without aggregating,

,oohering or matting, so that, when the figure is manipulated into poses other than that in which it iscast, it will flow readily in the voids created by manipulation and so prevent wrinkling of the shell at those points.

As above indicated, I may use for the armature any wire that is sufilciently pliable to bend easily and yet sufiiciently stifi to maintain its position when bent against the tendency of the latex shell to resume its original position. I have previously mentioned that a nickel clad copper wire is very satisfactory for this purpose. It a single wire is used it may conveniently be 'of about one thirty-second inch diameter. However, a stranded wire or cable comprising seven. strands of seven small wires each, having an outside diameter of about 0.112 inch has not only the desired pliability and strength but also has the additional advantage that it will resist breakage under manipulation far longer than a single wire.

. Of course, many other materials may be used or the construction of the armature and, in small figures, I have even found ordinary solder ribbon and copper or brass wire, either as single wires or braided or stranded, entirely suitable for this What I claim is:

1. Aflgure comprising arshell of resilient materialpmoulded into the form of a human being, animal or the like, an armature within the body and limbs of said shell, said armature consisting of a material sufficiently pliable to be bent into a desired position and sufficiently resistant to pressure to maintain its position when so bent, and a filling within said shell and around said armature of a finely divided material.

2. A figure comprising a shell of latex composition moulded to simulate a human or animal form, an armature o1 pliable wire within said shell and extending into the limbs thereof, and a filler of wood pulp occupying the entire space within said shell about said armature.

3. A doll molded of resilient material and having an armature and a filler therein whereby the head, body and limbs of said doll may be manipulated so as to assume a desired lifelike position and to maintain its position when so manipulated, said filler being adapted and arranged to flow into the voids created when the positions of the parts of the doll are altered by manipulation and thus substantially to preserve the smoothness of the contour of the figure in such altered position.

4. A figure comprising a shell of latex composition molded to simulate an animate form, an armature of pliable wire suspended within said shell and extending into the limbs thereof, and a filler of finely divided material adapted and arranged to flow into the voids created when the positions oi. the parts of the shell are altered whereby the external contour of said shell is prevented from wrinkling.

5. A display manikin comprising a shell molded of latex composition, a flexible armature adapted and arranged toh'old the parts in positions to which they may be manually adjusted, and a filler of finely divided material adapted and arranged to flow within said shell when the parts are so adjusted whereby the contour of said shell is prevented from wrinkling.

MARGARET A. NORRISS. 

